Whispering Smith Column published in the Littlehampton Gazette July 16th 2015

AFTER way too much ice cream the other night, late night early morning that is, I ordered a hedge trimmer from Amazon. Not sure what prompted such an action as I do not actually own a hedge however I do have some ivy creeping all over one wall so I guess it might have been that. Next morning – yes I opted for next day delivery such is the influence of ice cream on an empty head – I opened the box, got a bit excited, plugged it in, charged the ivy and within minutes had done exactly what the instruction book strictly forbade and cut through the cable. Giant bang and blue flash, trimmer in the roses and me halfway to Rustington followed closely by the cat. I laugh at it now in the absence of ice cream but in the heat of that moment I had a flash of enlightenment comparable to the bang of that moment. And I wondered, is it possible that the universe, the big bang and everything, was nothing more than some distant deity trimming his cosmostic hedge and accidently cutting the cable and creating the big flash bang wallop that gave us the universe, a universe I sometimes doubt we really deserve. Just a thought….

THIS week the government are offering a free vote to amend the hunting bill in order to once again allow packs of hounds to pursue and kill foxes. This amendment is merely a backdoor approach, an effort to destroy the existing bill without facing the likely defeat should they try to repeal the act altogether. Interestingly this news came out on the same day as the budget and I guess they hoped it would be buried in the hullaballoo that followed that. What a devious and duplicitous lot they are. Our local MP Nick Gibb told me he would vote after listening to the voice of the electorate. Well we have made a noise on social media so let us see if he really did listen.

SORRY to hear that the Silk Road restaurant is to close at the end of July after fifteen years of trading. We had our final quiz there last week, it was great fun as usual. Happy to see that the Gravy Boat Restaurant has opened on Pier Road, one door closes and another opens, the circle of life I suppose. Love Littlehampton.